Hi ho, Hi ho, its back to work I go!!!!

Before i begin i wanted to share this cartoon with you - again by Ian johnstone - my husband and i joked that i would never be allowed near a scrap yard, it just explains it all really ha ha:

Returning to work
Over the last two weeks I've been weaning myself back into the workplace - I'm on a phrased return which has supported me tremendously. I never expected to be of sick this long - but I've been so tired and all sorts of problems with vertigo, infections etc. This may well be because I suffer with another condition called Vestibular Migraine's. I will explain them later on in my blog but for now lets focus on my workplace.

 I work in an office, for obvious reasons I choose not to say where but the work i deal with is mostly administration. Administration as in volumes of paperwork, filing, PC work and data entry. Its a busy environment and very noisy! A like a majority of deaf people i need accommodation's or otherwise known as in the UK : reasonable adjustments.

To gain these accommodation's has taken time - especially as my hearing has deteriorated and also due to many management changes - its been a challenge at times! Much of this through fault of my own due to my speech being so good and struggling to be alike everyone else! But at the moment I have a very supportive team who i work with- they've all missed me since Ive been of sick and been really kind to me on my return.

My first day back to the office was only for 3 hrs and a bit of a shock to the system for my poor ears! As everyone welcomed me back i heard a grinding noise and looked around and saw a colleague get up and walk to the printer - the grinding noise began again and i realised then it was the printer making the awful noise! I have heard printers before when i was sat next to them in the past - but not as loud as that - help ! -it terrified me.

As well as printers i could also hear tap tap tap tap - which took me days to suss out - standing by someone i realised it stopped and on asking them what they were just doing - i realised it was the typing of the keyboards! Another new sound to get used to!

It wasn't all good though - still struggled with peoples voices at times but they were very patient and prepared to help me understand at times. The journey into work was not  pleasant either as the bus i got on had a terrible engine- it drove me nuts so i flicked the magnet of - it was abit early on in the morning for me!

A funny moment for me was when we were having a meeting - usually we have an interpreter booked but this was a quick meeting and I usually join and get told afterwards whats being said but this particular time i could hear this loud 'crunch' my team saw me doing this frantic 5 minute twirl and there it was - a colleague was crunching on his crisps! I think everyone laughed at him and me as i pointed over and said ' what was that ? ', and he was half way munching a huge crisp and cowered like he wanted to hide!Poor bloke but funny at the same time!

Its not always been an easy ride as Ive also found myself going home for a kip when I've got in from work - its such a noisy office so its something i have to get used to - I've also had alot of hospital appointments as well as travelling to and from them but on the whole - I've been lucky  - and I'm so proud of my colleagues for being supportive.

Having a cochlear implant isn't always an easy thing to explain - but with all  the literature that SOECIC ( south of England Cochlear Implant Centre) have provided me with, my reports my hearing therapist and Audiologist provided - its helped me a great deal. I'm sure theres still hundreds of noises for me to learn - but having them to share it with them - means alot to me.



I wanted to end this by adding a poem that i replied to someone on here - i get told alot by people that they've learnt alot from me from my blog - through out my life I've always believed that being deaf was an purpose to help educate people - but this describes it perfectly

xoOXOox